"But at the same time," Wolfley added, "I was talking to some coaches, guys that I have an awful lot of regard and respect for on this team that believe he's a 2,000-yard per year player -- just like Charles, 70 receptions.

"They're going to get him the ball, they're going to do it in creative ways. ... He's a rare talent. He really is. Because there's not many running backs you can take and split them out."

Cardinals fans shouldn't expect to see Ellington running between the tackles to kill the clock, as Charles did as the NFL's most valuable running back last season. But there's reason to believe Arians can get the ball in Ellington's hands in space to emulate Andy Reid's success with Charles in the passing game and outside the trenches.